This Journal is dedicated to Khoa Pham. The first person I ever taught Nature Aquarium to - and the first real customer I ever had. May the teachings in this Journal bring the same joy to others as it did to him.

If you've ever wondered how to create a mixed carpet for your planted aquarium or amazed at how Amano does it, through the course of this thread you will learn how to grow just that.

Sometimes, the task can seem impossible or overwhelming. So before I really begin to share these secrets, allow me to bring you along my history and development with planted tanks. You will see how you can create a fantastic layout, even if you are starting from humble origins.

Sit back, relax and read every word carefully, because it all starts with a vision:

My Background History:

At this point, I've thoroughly mastered growing single carpets as can be illustrated here:

Of course, this would also include your foreground and background stuff (for example, HC and hair grass), as you can see a relatively old example here:

That one kind of brings me back. Dollface might hate that photograph.

An older (yet more recent example) of an aquarium I never quite did take a finished photograph of:

That one taught me quite a few lessons about riccia: you see those bald stones? that was from a few pieces of riccia that were "spoiled" when they arrived, Lesson: always use the greenest and freshest riccia!

Something Important to Know: I will always recommend that you master growing one species of plant at a time, for example: an iwagumi that's all hair grass or hc, or microsword etc.

Why? because this will give you the greatest skill in manipulating, shaping the plants growth, while knowing at what speed it grows and what it's nutrient requirements are. Think of it like breaking down a math problem into easy, simple to digest and understand components in order to solve a very complex problem (in this case, the mixed carpet).

Along the waythere have also been some mishaps and failures:

How about this blast from the past (2008? 2009? I think):

This was my first ever attempt at a mixed carpet. It went surprisingly well, but I never did try to that extent again. See a close up from Glosso and HC growing together:

Oh, and of course, there was the first iwagumi:

I didn't even remember that somehow I had managed to get Riccia to intertwine with HC in that layout (e.g. it was a Random A$$ Accident) :

Oh boy! Look at that algae! Honestly I think that accidental mixing has been my best attempt yet...3-4 years ago...

And finally, there was my very, very first planted tank:

Man, how embarrassing is that?

There have been some other successes and failures over the course, but honestly? The failures teach you the most. The successes just give you some extra confidence.

Which brings me to some other examples:

I probably should have spent some time polishing that one up a bit. Now that I look back on it, the sparser growth actually creates a nice effect for what I was trying to achieve.

This was the very first layout I had worked on at Aquarium Design Group: and also the first time I had done -anything- with driftwood. I wish I had taken a full shot of this tank then.

With that said, what's the next objective? Mastering the Mixed Carpet.

Before I delve more into How-To and the fun of keeping the journal going, let me preface:

There will be mistakes. There will be frustration. And my intent is to teach you how to master these principles so that you can learn quicker than me. This is why I've had a lot of fun going over some of my past layouts, success, failures, embarrassments and all.

So, without further ado, here is the newest layout I've set up at home:

I promise not to bore you with equipment details: I'll only share them when necessary and when it's valuable and worth your time to know.

Before we go on further, I have a homework assignment for you:

Important Exercise:Visualize your ultimate layout you want for your aquarium. Now, picture yourself successfully planting each individual plant, and then watch the plants grow. Imagine problems coming up and solving the problem. Watch as the aquascape evolves from freshly planted to completed, and imagine how you feel when you've accomplished the task.

Now sit back, subscribe and continue to watch for updates to take the next step, and the next exercise. Make sure you catch me on my next major update where I'll teach you the fundamentals behind setting the substrate, and if you're lucky, the arrangement of the stones!

P.S. if you've found these techniques valuable, help share the information with new comers by linking back here in your own journals when you use my techniques!

Member Highlights! Check out these people and their awesome work:

Here are some of my students who are also members of TPT (message me if you aren't listed and should be, or if you are listed and feel you shouldn't or don't want to be!) :

These people all share a passion for planted aquariums and have had great success moving forward! Cheer them on as they work their way towards being masters of the planted tank universe.

Not sure what the purpose of the first 95% of the thread was(was pretty confusing) but they looked good and can't wait to see your tank planted. I would suggest getting rid of the first part of the post and just get straight to the point. Good luck on your mixed carpet.

__________________

The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech

Not sure what the purpose of the first 95% of the thread was(was pretty confusing) but they looked good and can't wait to see your tank planted. I would suggest getting rid of the first part of the post and just get straight to the point. Good luck on your mixed carpet.

I think the idea was to purposely illustrate the trails of prior carpet/mixed carpet success to give us all incite on what this journal will be about. Not trying to put words in the OP's mouth or anything, but I think it's a very good post.

*****

Frank, very interested in watching this. Not any easy thing to do by any means, I pulled out half my hair trying to trim my mixed carpet recently. I find the mixed styles to appear much more natural, like something that would actually be found in the wild opposed to a placed and "kept" feel.

Frank, very interesting to see how your aquascaping skills have developed.

It's a good reminder for those who try to emulate the beautiful tanks of Mr. Amano and others that everyone had to start somewhere and learn along the way. When I think about this hobby, more and more it strikes me that I'm less drawn to an final destination of a "finished" tank than to the journey of trying to get there.

Very encouraging thread, thanks for posting it and the pictures of the early tanks, "failures" and works in progress. It's easy for those of us still starting out to get disheartened when we see some of the amazing looking aquascapes and lush planted tanks out there. Now I have to remember I'm aiming to get that good, eventually, but not overnight

Ah yeah. I've been running my mind over this issue for the last year or so, trying to figure out how I would incorporate a variety of foreground plant into a layout. It's awesome that I can watch to see what happens with your experiences. Do you have a plan of attack in mind? Did you have a style that you are striving for, such as crisp barriers or plants overlaying each other, or are you just wingin' it?

Not sure what the purpose of the first 95% of the thread was(was pretty confusing) but they looked good and can't wait to see your tank planted. I would suggest getting rid of the first part of the post and just get straight to the point. Good luck on your mixed carpet.

Thanks for the valuable feedback. I've rewritten a bit of it to make it a little more clear. Make sure to read over the initial post again for gems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warlock

where do you get all the cool stone!!

Honestly, Warlock, most of the stones that I've used I've collected over the years through swap n shop or a few various ADA shipments (I've yet to utilize any of the Ryuo stone, as I like to select pieces for people which I would feel comfortable using myself and this is the most popular type).

To be completely honest with you though: many of these stones are rather "dull" upon first glance (especially in the Mini M I will take us through on this journey), however the trick is knowing how to arrange them and use them. Which I will be covering.

Quote:

Originally Posted by salmon

Frank, very interested in watching this. Not any easy thing to do by any means, I pulled out half my hair trying to trim my mixed carpet recently. I find the mixed styles to appear much more natural, like something that would actually be found in the wild opposed to a placed and "kept" feel.

Watching this for sure! Keep us posted

Salmon, you will definitely want to take a pen and paper out and take notes and do the "homework," assignments i'll leave at the end of each major update. These are valuable secrets to success with the planted tank, which you will not find posted or written anywhere else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegis32

Frank, very interesting to see how your aquascaping skills have developed.

It's a good reminder for those who try to emulate the beautiful tanks of Mr. Amano and others that everyone had to start somewhere and learn along the way. When I think about this hobby, more and more it strikes me that I'm less drawn to an final destination of a "finished" tank than to the journey of trying to get there.

Can't wait to follow along and learn some new things!

Aegis, we all start humbly! I think you will learn, as others who I am sure are feeling the same sentiment as you posted, that we all face the same challenges and roadblocks. Even Mr. Amano did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by manikmunky

Very encouraging thread, thanks for posting it and the pictures of the early tanks, "failures" and works in progress. It's easy for those of us still starting out to get disheartened when we see some of the amazing looking aquascapes and lush planted tanks out there. Now I have to remember I'm aiming to get that good, eventually, but not overnight

Make sure to do the homework assignment at the end of the first post! You will find your way to success here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcgd

Ah yeah. I've been running my mind over this issue for the last year or so, trying to figure out how I would incorporate a variety of foreground plant into a layout. It's awesome that I can watch to see what happens with your experiences. Do you have a plan of attack in mind? Did you have a style that you are striving for, such as crisp barriers or plants overlaying each other, or are you just wingin' it?

I'm pumped for this.

jcgd, you will definitely want to be following and taking notes, I'll give you a teaser on the plan in the next post. As we go through the learning process, make sure to ask questions and save yourself headache! Most people who ask questions when learning about the planted tank and are open to being taught, master these concepts very quickly.

P.S. if you've found these techniques valuable, help share the information with new comers by linking back here in your own journals when you use my techniques!

Before going further with post updates, I want to give a little insight into how you can learn how to unlock Amano Magic in your own planted aquariums.

Each new major post will have an easy to follow format designed to teach step by step (and if you already know the basic steps, it will be good review to master them!) so you can begin to fully master the techniques that will lead to you fulfilling your vision.

At the end of every post, there will be a simple and fun homework assignment that you can do to really improve your planted tank skills quickly. Most people who participate in these simple exercises find ways to instantly improve their layouts, whether they are completely new to the hobby or have been in it for years.

Continue to read every word carefully and you will know the secrets of the professionals without having to go through the hassle of learning the hard way.

Great thread. What happens if you're visualization is more about just being able to grow difficult plants and trying to learn how to really watch them and see what they need? I keep trying to visualize and I find what gives me the best sense of accomplishment is being able to grow new species of plants. Maybe once that's mastered and I learn how to read my plants I'll be ready to design my dream aquascape.

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